The Path to Matsuro
by The Cross-Dressing Samurais
Summary: After an unfortunate invasion of the Dursley household, it is decided that no place is safe enough for the Boy Who Lived. Drastic measures must be taken to ensure that Harry Potter receives the training and the security that are necessary to his survival.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **After an unfortunate invasion of the Dursley household, it is decided that no place is safe enough for the Boy Who Lived. Drastic measures must be taken to ensure that Harry Potter receives the training and the security that are necessary to his survival. As he is shuttled off to an undisclosed location, Harry discovers not only a place where he can hone his wizarding skills to perfection, but an unexpected friend whose mysterious past and startling connections to his world may give the Order a new edge in the war against the Dark Lord.

**A/N:** To those of you who are reading this, bear with us here. This is our first fan fiction and we would like to thank you for succumbing to our realm of insanity for the time being. After reading this chapter you may in fact wonder how it has anything to do with our beloved Harry's well-being, but rest assured that all will be revealed in time.

**The Path to Matsuro**

Severus Snape let out a relieved sigh as he Apparated to the front gates of Hogwarts. Once again he was able to survive being summoned by Voldemort, yet not without injury. Severus' body shook with phantom pains from the lasting affects of the Cruciatus curse, the Dark Lord's favorite punishment.

He began stumbling towards the old castle with an odd sort of grace only he could manage. Hagrid's hut, with the Forbidden Forest behind it, came into Severus' somewhat hazy vision. He stopped momentarily and dropped his head to catch a breath. Never would he ask for assistance in this regard. Before Severus could resume the seemingly endless trek to his haven, a faint sound of crying pierced the otherwise silent night air.

Exhausted and in pain, Severus fought the overwhelming urge to ignore the noise. Cursing his bloody conscience the whole way, Severus limped into the unknown until a clearing was spotted ahead.

It was a full moon tonight, yet another reason he should not be here.

The clearing was eerily illuminated by the haunting blue glow of the moon, encasing a triad of bodies that lay motionless in the middle. He cautiously approached them, wand at the ready, though he need not have.

Severus let out another sigh, this one out of anger.

Two of them were dead while the third, a little girl no older than six, remained unscathed except for the obvious emotional scars she received during the night. She stared up at Severus with pleading yellow eyes, almost cat-like with their intensity.

He grunted and then muttered a quick spell, lifting the deceased bodies into the chilled air.

"Come," was all Severus said as he began to slowly wander back to Hogwarts, the little girl now silently trailing after him with surprising obedience.

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"Severus, we cannot just leave her to rot in some dustbin," Minerva McGonagall, transfiguration professor at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, protested.

The man being admonished pursed his thin lips in a blatant display of annoyance. "Well, what do you propose we do with it? Heaven forbid we rid the world of one more child," he snapped.

"Not _it_, Severus, _she. She_ is a young girl," Minerva once again attempted to explain.

Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Albus Dumbledore stood in the headmaster's office discussing the placement of the child. Said girl sat in one of the offered chairs, taking in the magical scenery with her curious eyes. They rested on the man who took her away from the bad place. She quietly slid off the over-stuffed chair and hesitantly walked over to Snape.

"I agree with Minerva on this matter, Severus," Dumbledore cut in, "it is in our best interest that we keep a close watch on the child." His twinkling eye held a promise, an unknown secret he wished to taunt the others with.

"And why is that?" Severus asked impatiently. The girl in question plopped onto the floor unceremoniously and started to rock back and forth in a peaceful manner. He looked down at her and sneered, earning him an uninterested blink from her direction. Minerva began to speak, glaring at Albus when he interrupted her once more with a gleam in his eyes, cautioning her not to say a word. She harrumphed and sat back down.

"Severus, she is troubled. It has been a very trying day for her. Since you have found her she hasn't spoken a word."

"Yes, for that I am most thankful."

A seething Minerva glowered at him, which caused Severus to smirk. How he loved to make people angry. Albus raised his weathered hand to stop the silent war before speaking again. "As I recall Severus, you were in dire need in the past at one point. Surely you know by now that leaving a child such as herself will only result in looking the wrong way for support."

"Like I said previously, what do you propose we do?" he inquired, this time purposely leaving out the 'it' he tagged the child as.

"Not we, Severus, but you. She will be under your watch," Albus cheerfully supplied.

"No, absolutely not."

"There is no room for discussion, my boy. You are the only one capable of getting through to her." Snape saw the irritating glimmer in the headmaster's stubborn stare. He wanted nothing to do with the child, but if it made his savior happy, then so be it.

"Of course, Albus, as you wish. _She_ will no doubt be in my quarters?"

Dumbledore nodded and offered him a loving smile at which Severus growled. He then turned to the door to leave, but stopped when he noticed his lack of company. A small puff of air escaped his mouth as he huffed in irritancy and Severus grabbed her hand, thus dislodging her entire person from the floor, and continued his quick pace to the dungeons. Not a word was spoken the entire way.

He turned to her. "What is your name?"

No answer.

"How old are you?" No answer yet again, but she did raise six fingers.

"Will you behave and not bother me?" She nodded her head yes.

Snape had long ago dropped her soft hand from his icy one. Human contact was not a thing he favored much. The girl followed after him as a puppy would, causing him to smile inwardly at her willingness to obey. They reached his private quarters and stepped inside. Not but a moment later Severus reopened the door and grabbed the girl before walking into his room again. With three long strides he reached the couch, a soft black-leathered love seat, and elegantly dropped onto it with ease.

This was going to be one hell of a summer.

Little did Severus know that he would spend the entirety of his summer holiday urging the young girl to speak, for it appeared that she had taken a vow of silence after the tragedy. She stayed out of his way, reading children books that a house-elf so graciously provided, drawing pictures of herself and a little boy. Snape asked her who it was but she only shrugged.

"Kaida."

Severus lifted his head from the potions text he was previously perusing through and raised his brows in questioning.

"Kaida," she repeated.

It had been several weeks since that night in the forest. Severus still had yet to receive any personal information about the girl, including her name.

She padded softly towards his chair and placed a gentle hand hesitantly on his surprisingly warm knee. Once more she said the name, this time pointing to herself. Gathering his patience, Severus thumped his slender fingers on the table in subconscious rhythm.

"Your name is Kaida?" She nodded her head, almost imperceptibly, in agreement.

Severus gazed down at the child in scrutiny, slowly taking in the minimal hints of Japanese lineage. Her yellow eyes practically glowed in the dense light of his chambers and the slight slant of them amplified her feline features. Long, black hair, somewhat purple in sheen, cascaded down her back in a sleek waterfall.

He shuddered at the simple thought of being prolifically kind and soft spoken for the duration of the child's stay, yet it seemed as if there was no other choice.

"Can you tell me something about yourself, Kaida?"

The girl seemed to ponder this possibility for a moment, but then slowly looked toward her tiny feet. Somewhat mollified, Severus pressed on, trying to find words of encouragement to further entice vocalization from his young charge.

"Despite my bat-like appearance, I promise I have yet to bite a child."

His attempt at humour accomplished exactly what he intended: his remark elicited a small smirk from her usually expressionless face.

"What about a grown-up?" Kaida questioned quietly.

Unknowingly, Severus offered her a small twitch of the mouth.

"That decrepit old man with the impossibly long beard from upstairs, if you so dare to remember, had an unfortunate run-in with me a few days back, hence his mad behavior that you surely noticed."

Kaida frowned upon hearing this, whether it be from confusion or disapproval Severus could not be sure. After a few moments, she lifted her head and stared at him, emitting a single note of laughter.

Severus smiled inwardly. Perhaps this holiday would not be so utterly terrible after all.

**A/N:** Okay, folks, there you have it, the first chapter of our masterpiece. You like? You hate? All reviews are welcomed and any flames will happily be used to roast marshmallows. Thanks for the cooperation!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Oops, forgot the disclaimer.

**Disclaimer: **Though it pains us, we are forced to disclaim the rights to all things you seek to read about on all these lovely virtual pages. However, article 3, section 5382…er…something declares outright that the plotline concerning and/or relating to our original characters is off limits. And any new spells, potions, you know, smoke and mirrors are ours as well.

Yes we are possessive, thanks for asking.

**2nd A/N: **Well, ladies and gents, here you have it. The long-awaited chapter that actually has Harry Potter in it! I know, amazing, seeing as we never thought it would happen, bit I will let you in on a little secret of ours…its magic! In any case, please enjoy.

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**TEN YEARS LATER**

Harry Potter, regrettable resident of number four Privet Drive, gazed at the ceiling of the box he lived in, the very same one his so called relatives claimed to be a bedroom. It was as if the sordid amounts of cobwebs were the most fascinating and captivating substances Harry had ever seen, he put so much effort into staring at them mindlessly for hours upon end.

That is what he spent every afternoon doing, for he was not allowed to leave his room but for a few exceptions. His box was stripped bare with nominal amounts of light provided by the rare presence of the sun. How Harry wished that something exciting and adrenaline pumping would occur so he could vent his anger at being forced into solitude by his heartless family.

No sooner than he could have imagined did he hear a few noises from outside. Harry stiffly slid off his lumpy mattress and went over to the window, peering out of the small areas that had yet to be boarded up. He let out a moan when dark cloaks scuttled across the perfectly cut grass that he had prepared earlier. Not for the first time did Harry question the reliability of the protective wards around the Dursley's house, and now there was proof in the most unlucky of ways.

Harry began to contemplate the variety of ways to escape his room, for he had no inclination to be trapped unarmed, and groaned when he came up empty-handed. Sitting once more on the bed, Harry started to thump his palm lightly across his scar, hoping to come across an idea to rid him of the problem. His head lifted in alarm when he saw shadows beneath his door. Accepting his fate one way or another, Harry shuffled to the corner of his room, preparing himself for the worst.

As if his prayers were answered by the devil himself, in walked Lucius Malfoy with Snape and Avery in tow. All three sneered at Harry like he was some caged bird and they were the cats waiting for the door to swing open for playtime.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Lucius drawled. A flicker of movement caught Harry's eye from within Snape's robes as the man fiddled with something.

"It seems, gentlemen, that we have opened a door of opportunity for ourselves. The Dark Lord will be most pleased with our discovery, of course. What do you have to say for yourself now that we have you within our reach, eh Potter?"

Harry let out an undignified snort in response to Malfoy's little speech. Off in the distance he could hear Dudley shouting in anger at him. No doubt Death Eaters were now surrounding the house. He felt, rather than heard, the stair's protest as his abnormally large cousin stomped his way up. How on earth he could still be roaming free, was the question of the day that Harry was determined to answer.

The door swung open, knocking Avery off balance, and sent him tumbling to the floor in an ungraceful heap. Dudley, without a care, trotted into the room, unaware of the body beneath him or the danger he was getting into. The room's previous occupants looked at the newcomer with apparent confusion and then perverse amusement as the fat boy abruptly tripped over Avery, thus careening him forward and onto Malfoy, who landed underneath the large mass of weight.

Snape and Harry just looked at the hullabaloo before them with wide eyes before turning to each other with mirrored shock. Malfoy started to gasp, making everyone aware of his difficulty to breathe in his current position. Avery, finally clear of all falling whales, stood up in a huff and wiped his robes off.

"Despite two thirds of our team down, Potter, you were still unable to get away. Tisk, tisk, boy. Your reputation precedes you." Snape scoffed.

_He is stalling,_ Harry thought.

"What? My reputation as The Boy Who Lived? Who cares about that? It isn't me!" Harry all but yelled, hoping to cause a reaction.

He was not disappointed. Malfoy, who had yet to be removed from underside of the unconscious oaf's body, began to snicker slightly as he attempted to get up.

"How very tragic. Potter is unhappy with his fame. Very…predictable. I must say you have reason. After all, you killed your parents, your mutt of a godfather, a fellow student, and now that faithful werewolf that was guarding you downstairs. All ties to your family are gone. That should give you reason to hate yourself."

Malfoy's words triggered a formerly dormant emotion in Harry. _Remus couldn't be dead! _He clenched his fists in seething rage at the accusations that he spent long hours trying to erase from his mind, and now he had a new death to add to the list. He looked to the doorway, praying help would come soon. From the floor Dudley began to stir, grunting at the effort it took to get up.

"Too bad your relatives could care less about you. Hope you feel the same," was all Avery said as he whipped out his wand and muttered a curse. Before he could finish, however, a red streak of light made contact with him and Avery fell for a second time to the floor. Three new people were now standing within the hallway, just having taken off invisibility cloaks. Malfoy growled in fury and began trading spells with the order members while Snape stood there, an observer, sending curses both ways and purposely missing.

Meanwhile, Harry slithered his way out of the room, grabbing a portkey from Snape on the way. With a pop he was gone from the chaos.

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Harry blinked his eyes in focus to gather his bearings. Magical devices were twirling this way and that all around the room, an unfamiliar place to him. Without knowing how long before someone was to arrive, he found a chair to sit in off to the side and took advantage of it. A clock struck eight, vibrating the room with its overpowering chimes. More tired than he thought, Harry's eyes began to droop until they closed shut, offering him the much needed sleep.

A door slammed open, causing Harry to snap awake with alarm. His breathing resumed its normal pace once his gaze rested upon the familiar potion's master. The man looked worse for the wear as he struggled to gain his composure. Harry, upon seeing the distressed state of his least favourite professor, immediately jumped out of the seat, silently offering it to the man. Snape grunted his thanks as he lowed himself gently onto the vacant chair.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Unexpectedly Snape did not sneer or present Harry with an uncouth response. "I will live. Although you may make yourself useful and grab me my box of potions on the desk."

Harry did as he was told and stood awaiting further instruction.

"The headmaster will be arriving shortly. He was held up at the attack."

Harry nodded in acceptance. He watched, fascinated, as the man gulped down various colored liquids. At that moment, the life of a spy did not appear to be so grand, and Harry, albeit grudgingly, began to look at the dour professor in a new, respectful light.

"Stop staring at me like a ninny, Potter. One would think if you enjoyed staring at me so much, you would not fail so miserably at potions."

Well, that did not mean Harry had to actually like the old bat.

Harry's ears were greeted by ten chimes of the clock as the headmaster swept through the door. He gave Snape a grave look before conjuring himself a chair, two once he noticed Harry's lack of seating arrangements, and settled into it with alarming relief. To Harry, Dumbledore had never looked so old and fragile. Said man exhaled noisily before attempting to voice his thoughts.

"Harry, by now I am sure you are wondering how it is that Voldemort was able to breach the wards at Privet Drive. As to that, I can only imagine that he is continually gaining power, much more so than his last rising, which is unfortunate for us, obviously. The Death Eaters are no longer lying low, so to speak; Severus had provided me with ample information pertaining to the planned attacks of the next few weeks. Also, many raids have already taken place against muggles and muggleborn families." Dumbledore paused in his speech; mainly to catch the breaths he lost in explaining it all.

He continued, "We fear that your relatives will not be able to provide the protection that is needed for your wellbeing. Keeping that in mind, I have contacted an old friend of mine, and if you accept, he will take you under his care."

Harry thought about all the information he just obtained, and then his features molded into an obscure grin. "I won't have to go back to the Dursley's, sir?"

"No, Harry, you will not. But I must warn you that my offer is not as simple as it seems. Were you to accept, you would no longer be in England, or this continent to be precise. My friend lives in Japan, off the Shirakami Mountains, in a very beautiful but secluded area. This would be the most secure place for you to stay for the remainder of your summer holiday."

"If you think it wise, sir, then I will go," Harry said without deliberation.

"Excellent, my boy. Excuse me for a moment while I make the necessary arrangements."

Dumbledore stood up and swiftly walked over to the fireplace and began having a silenced chat leaving Harry and Snape by themselves.

"Professor, where are we?" Harry asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

The Potions Master sneered. "We are in the study of one of my properties. That idiot minister of ours decided that today would be a perfect day for a surprise inspection of the castle. The headmaster thought it prudent we switch our location immediately, lest we wish to be bombarded by the ministry minions."

Harry held back a chuckle; usually the man's contempt was aimed at him, and for once he was disappointed that Snape had such skill in holding back his ire.

The Boy Who Lived sat quietly, gaze transfixed on the carpet design. His voice trembled as he spoke, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. "Sir, did Malfoy really kill Remus?"

Snape squinted his eyes, a tell-tale sign that he was tired. "No, Potter, the mangy wolf is still alive and as annoying as ever."

Harry took in the information was audible relief. Silence ensued for a few moments longer.

"You would do well, boy, to take note of whatever you come across in your travels."

Was Snape giving him advice? To Harry, it seemed as if his professor knew more than he was letting on.

"And why would that be, sir?"

"Kenichi Tai is a very experienced man. Only the temptation of a quiet and content life after the first war led him astray from Albus' side. You could benefit greatly if you are serious about learning his ways."

Harry nodded, perplexed as to why his usually sneering potions master was offering him words of recommendation. All in all, the night seemed to be a peculiarity. Clearly the man had other thoughts on his mind; otherwise civility would not come as easily between the two of them. But perhaps there were stranger things…like Loony Luna Lovegood and her disturbed fascination with imagined animals. But for now, Harry was going to accept the changed behavior and prepare for what was to come next.

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**A/N:** We just have one thing to say, and that is…..REVIEWS ARE LOVELY! So please add to the beauty of the world and throw a comment or two our way.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Here's the latest chappie! And I don't feel like writing a disclaimer, so I will just say I own nothing. Ta for now loves!

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By sheer luck Harry was able to remain upright as the portkey transferred him to the desired location. Soft green grass rustled under his worn trainers, causing an odd tickling sensation. Above him, clouds littered the sky the otherwise blue sky, perhaps a forewarning of weather to come. As Harry looked straight ahead, his emerald eyes widened in amazement. In the foreground stood an ancient Japanese palace, so large that it could be nothing else, and with the undeniably beautiful scenery, the place looked like heaven.

Somewhere in the back of his head Harry knew he should cease gaping like a goldfish, but he was inescapably mesmerized by his surroundings. Within seconds his view changed from that of the palace to that of the sky, with a complimenting bruise to his head, as Harry found himself flat on his back.

He winced as the sun burned his eyes. "I knew I should have listened to myself."

"Always have faith in your instincts," said a voice as a shadow covered the blinding rays of sun, offering Harry only a silhouette with disconcerting yellow eyes.

The two people involuntarily engaged in a staring contest until Harry forcibly pulled his gaze away from the scrutiny.

Another voice entered the fray, this one deeper and more weathered. "Try not to scare away our new charge just yet, Little Dragon."

The one acknowledged as Little Dragon gave a snort in contempt before walking away with a billow of robes that distinctly reminded Harry of Snape. A hand was thrust before his face; Harry realized he was still sitting in the dewy grass. He accepted it and looked to its owner.

"Hello Harry Potter, I am Kenichi Tai, and this is my home. Please forgive Kaida for her abrupt dismissal as well as her overall behavior. She is-" he was cut off by Harry.

"I'm sorry, but who?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to interrupt. He received a small chuckle in reply.

"Do not say such things, young Harry, for it is I who should be apologizing. The one who managed to, eh, catch you off guard a few moments ago. That, my new friend, is Kaida. If you are as smart as they say, you would be wise to stay clear of her."

Harry nodded in confusion, but shook out of his stupor as Kenichi Tai started making his way down the cobblestone path.

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Harry peered into the doorway and, after mimicking Kenichi Tai's action of taking his shoes off on the tatami mats, stepped inside, almost slipping on the wooden floor with his clean socks. Following Kenichi Tai, Harry took in his surroundings as much as possible and mentally began making a map of the palace rooms. To his left Harry saw a room of ropes suspended from the ceiling and to the right side seemed to be a room full of practice dummies. Continuing his informational trot down the hallways, he saw many rooms like the previous ones, all of which Kenichi Tai explained the history and purpose of. By the time they were finished, Harry's head was swimming with knowledge, but his stomach was growling. He looked up sheepishly.

"Hungry are we? Yes, well, let us amble on over to the kitchens then," Kenichi Tai suggested.

Harry nodded gratefully and the two of them hastily made their ways to the dining area, where Kenichi Tai left his young charge momentarily. All around the low table were comfortable looking pillows and Harry, after a quick decision, sat on the one furthest from the door. Moments later, Kenichi Tai entered and lowed himself next to the young wizard, placing two steaming bowls of hakumai on the table. Harry stared at the rice for a moment, contemplating how to eat it with the two sticks beside him. He picked them up and, with his Gryffindor bravery, attempted to eat the minute grains of rice. He blushed scarlet when he failed miserably as the rice dribbled down onto his pants.

"It will take some getting used to, I am afraid," Kenichi Tai sympathized.

Harry's lips tweaked upward. "That's alright, sir, I do not mind the challenge."

Kenichi Tai shook his head with a grin." Now what is with all the formality? Please, call me Tai; I have a feeling we shall be great friends. You make me feel old like Albus otherwise."

Harry smiled and continued trying to eat, only managing to successfully place one half of the food in his mouth. Halfway through the meal another presence joined them, this one smirking as Harry, talentless, brought the chopsticks to his mouth.

Kaida leaned across the table and tilted her head to the side, shifting to be closer to him. "You're drooling, just to let you know."

Harry's eyes narrowed in embarrassment as he realized she was correct. He patted his mouth absentmindedly.

"Thanks."

Kaida said nothing in reply as she left the room in a swirl of dark robes.

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After dinner, Tai led him through the extensive palace, towards his new quarters, wherever they might be. Even though Harry had years of experience navigating large castles, Hogwarts had not prepared him for this. Each room, each corridor in this Japanese palace flowed like water in a river.

Harry wondered if perhaps there was a spell put on the floor to make you feel as if you were floating along with a gently-moving current.

He looked around.

Although the sensation was rather wonderful, he could see that it made it very difficult to remember where one was going.

Harry would have to pay very close attention if he did not want to repeatedly lose himself in this enchanted place, possibly embarrassing himself again in front of the aloof and yet quite captivating Kaida.

As Harry and Tai floated up a flight of stairs, Harry noticed a doorway at the top, with no landing or floor space around it. It was simply a door, and nothing else. Hanging in the doorway were vines of white flowers, very Japanese looking, Harry thought to himself, although he did not know their name.

"I hope you will find this satisfactory, Harry. I would not want to give you anything less than what you had at Hogwarts, I simply couldn't live with myself if that were the case. Albus and I have always had a bit of competition as to how finely our respective schools were run. Just a bit of fun really, but do tell me if there is anything you should desire."

After Tai finished his little speech, Harry finally glanced at the room he was now inside. The simplistic elegance and serene beauty of this room put Harry at ease at once.

Two large windows, painted black around their edges, framed the large mattress set right onto the ground in the center of the room. The bed was made with white satin sheets and black satin pillows. Apart from that, the room included a lone wardrobe and a bamboo mat in the far corner of the room, which Tai soon told him was the "meditation corner."

The white walls and black ceiling gave the room a striking, yet oddly calming atmosphere, and the black Japanese symbols which graced the otherwise unadorned walls seemed to glow with some unspoken power or knowledge.

But what was most extraordinary about Harry's new home was not what was inside this room, it was what was outside of it.

Outside the windows was the most magnificent view Harry had ever seen. White-capped mountains and lush green landscapes below made him take in a breath sharply. In the distance, Harry caught a glimpse of a cascading waterfall, long and narrow like a stream of water from a faucet.

Harry searched for words as he turned around to face Tai.

"This is brilliant, sir."

"Oh, come now, come now. I told you to call me Tai and I expect you to do so. But I'm glad it suits you, Harry. Truly I am. Now, why don't you take a short rest until this evening. You might just need your strength."

And after that rather unsettling remark, Harry was left alone.

After staring out at the scenery for a long moment, Harry collapsed onto his bed, expectedly exhausted by his trek about this Eastern wonderland.

He knew this would be an experience unlike any other. He just wished that he knew what to expect next.

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"Napping, are we?"

Harry awoke with a start, eyes darting towards the door, where a dark-haired girl stood leaning against it, staring across the room at him.

Finally, Harry had a chance to see what this girl truly looked like. Kaida had been so quick and flighty before that he had not had a chance to see her face. Plus he had been too humiliated to look her in the eye.

But now, he realized that she was quite beautiful, with creamy skin, yellow, almond-shaped eyes and full lips. She had a lean, lanky body, which went well with her sleek black hair. But what was most noticeable about her was her expressions, which were intense and penetrating, as if she could read your mind.

She spoke again. "I am afraid we were not adequately introduced, so I came to rectify my somewhat unfriendly behavior."

"Are girls really allowed in the boys dormitories?" He asked, wondering how it was she managed to get into his room.

"Dormitories? Girls and boys? There are not enough pupils here for anyone to care about that sort of thing. Besides, we are treated as adults here, mostly. As long as you attempt to act like one."

Harry wondered why she had bothered coming all this way to speak to him. She looked as if this exchange was deadly boring, like she had somewhere else to go.

"Well, er, how long have you been here?"

"Since I was seven. Longer than most, but I have no real family, so Tai's home has been my home for quite some time."

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry. I haven't got any family either."

"Well of course you haven't, everybody knows that. You're Harry bloody Potter."

At that, Harry could not help himself, he laughed.

"Yes, well, being that I'm quite some way from England, I thought maybe—"

"Well, you thought wrong. The entire wizarding world, and I do mean world, knows who you are. We just aren't as threatened by Voldemort's wrath since he's an English fellow."

Harry had to laugh again. He had never heard anyone refer to Voldemort as an English "fellow."

"So, everyone here has no trouble saying his name then I suppose?"

"Actually, Tai and I are the only ones around here who call him by his true name. Everyone else refers to him as the Lord of Darkness. Only, they say it in Japanese."

Harry realized that he should probably stop lying down and act like a gentleman.

"Would you like to sit down?" He asked, gesturing towards the bed.

"Oh, no. I probably shouldn't. I need to be going anyway, I just wanted to pop in a make sure you didn't view me as a total witch. Well, you know what I mean."

Then, she actually smiled at him, a bright, glowing smile, and then she suddenly turned and exited the room.

"Bloody hell," Harry whispered to himself. Now that was quite a woman.

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**A/N: Well, we hope you enjoyed. Please read and review!**


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